ENGLEWOOD FLORIDA WATERFRONT GUIDE

Our Featured Property:         1024 Lee St., Englewood, FL  "A Slice of Key West in the heart of Englewood"   Learn more about this exquisite home here

New to the Florida Waterfront game? It won't take you long to realize that there is waterfront and then there is WATERFRONT.

You may find property listed as "waterfront" which turns out to front what is little more than a mud puddle that leads nowhere. Or "Gulf access" which requires over 2 hours of idle speed though "No Wake zones" in order to get there. Not very practical.

In an effort to clarify the terminology and help you find your way through the maze of Florida Waterfront properties, we provide on this page:

Waterfront Terminology found in real estate ads

PROPERTY TERMS

• SWF= Saltwater front; can mean anything from a couple minutes to the Gulf to 2 hours of idle-speed through a maze of canals first
   
• Gulf Access= Ditto, with either immediate or eventual access to the Gulf of Mexico.
   
• ICW= Intracoastal Waterway, a navigable waterway sandwiched between mainland Englewood and the protective Manasota & Knight Key barrier islands
  
             
   
• Sailboat= No bridges from the property to open water (a sailboat mast could pass).
   
• Motorboat= One or more bridges (although no tall sailboats, motorboats can access open water). This could mean anything from a 10 foot rubber raft to a 30 foot cabin cruiser; closer investigation needed.
   
• 1 Bridge to bay= Ditto.
   
• Deeded Access= Non-waterfront property with legal (written) access to a boat ramp or dock. How close to your house , and leading where?
   
• Fresh Water= Pond or lake, no saltwater or Gulf access
   
• Lake Access= Ditto.
   

FRONTAGE TERMS

• Beach Front= Sandy beach frontage. "Frontage on what?" needs clarification. Should mean Gulf or Bay frontage, but needs clarified.
   
• Seawall= Engineered vertical concrete wall at the water's edge. Most valuable and durable waterfront edging.
   

• RipRap= Piled up chunks of limestone rock or concrete that lines the waterfront edge to prevent erosion of the property. Can be very functional if not overgrown by mangroves (there are restrictions on trimming mangroves).
  
     
   
• Lift or Elevator Lift= Fixed motorized skids that run under your boat and lift it completely out of the water for storage. Pay attention to weight limit-- it dictates what size boat you can have.
  
     
     
     
• Davits= 2 mechanical "lifts" that secure to your boat with chains at the bow and stern. The boat is then lifted out of the water and either hangs over the water or swings over to the land for storage. Ask if the davits are motorized (preferable) or not (armstrong lifting). Davits cannot handle the larger boats.
  
     
   
• Wet Slip= Boat stays in the water, tied up to a dock. Boat hull will require "anti-fouling" paint and periodic "hauling-out" maintenance to keep barnacles under control.
   

           


Looking to buy Englewood Florida Waterfront property? Check out the different areas "on the waters" of our town here:
     ENGLEWOOD WATERFRONT.